1. AB 705 and You: Your Program and Your Students – Noncredit, ESL, and Basic Skills
Ginni May, Area A Representative, Math and Quantitative Reasoning Task Force Chair
Craig Rutan, Area D Representative, Curriculum Committee Chair
Career and Noncredit Education Institute
May, 3, 2018, Westin South Coast Plaza

2. Overview Role of the Academic Senates AB 705 Basic Skills Noncredit
ESL
What now?
Questions and Comments

3. Role of the Academic Senates
Within the confines of the law…
Title 5 §53200 – The “1+10”
(c) “Academic and professional matters” means the following policy development and implementation matters:
(1) curriculum, including establishing prerequisites…;
(2) degree and certificate requirements;
(4) educational program development;
(5) standards or policies regarding student preparation and success;
(11) other academic and professional matters as are mutually agreed upon between the governing board and the academic senate.
(d) “Consult collegially”… district governing board shall develop policies on academic and professional matters through either or both of the following methods, according to its own discretion:
(1) relying primarily upon the advice and judgment of the academic senate; or
(2) …reach mutual agreement by written resolution, regulation, or policy of the governing board effectuating such recommendations.

4. AB 705
AB 705 (signed October 13, 2017) requires colleges to use one or more of the following when placing students into courses in math and English:
High School Coursework
High School GPA
High School Grades
If colleges are not able to obtain official transcript data, they can use self reported data or guided placement.

5. AB 705: What is a Year?
Per the memo from the Chancellor’s Office (March 22, 2018), one year will be two semesters (or three quarters).
Summer and intersession would count as a term (semester or quarter) if a student chooses to take a math or English courses during those sessions.
If a student were placed more than one level below transfer, it would be impossible for them to complete transfer level course work in one year at a semester college.

6. AB 705 – When Does the Clock Start?
The one-year clock begins when a student enrolls in a math or English course that is part of a sequence leading to transfer level coursework.
A noncredit course will start the clock if is part of a sequence leading to transfer level coursework and the student has a goal of transfer. (more on this in just a bit…)
Colleges may offer programs to help the students refresh their skills. Those programs will not start the clock if they are not courses.

7. AB 705 – Highly Unlikely and Maximize Likelihood
"a community college district or college cannot require a student to enroll in remedial English or mathematics coursework that lengthens their time to complete a degree unless placement research that includes consideration of high school grade point average and coursework shows that those students are highly unlikely to succeed in transfer-level coursework in English and mathematics”
“placement models selected by a community college demonstrate that they guide English and mathematics placements to achieve the goal of maximizing the probability that a student will enter and complete transfer-level coursework in English and mathematics within a one-year timeframe”

8. AB 705 – Highly Unlikely and Maximize Likelihood
“The regulations should ensure that, for students who seek a goal other than transfer, and who are in certificate or degree programs with specific requirements that are not met with transfer-level coursework, a community college district or college maximizes the probability that a student will enter and complete the required college-level coursework in English and mathematics within a one- year timeframe.”

9. Basic Skills
The Chancellor’s Office has interpreted those portions of AB 705 to mean that colleges may only place students into basic skills courses if they are “highly unlikely to succeed” at the transfer level AND taking the basic skills course will improve the likelihood that a student will complete transfer level coursework in one year.
This does not mean that colleges must get rid of their basic skills courses.
Students can still choose to take a basic skills course if that is what they want.

10. English High School Performance Average Success Rate
Average Success Rate
Students Enrolling Directly in Transfer- Level
One-Year Completion of Transfer-Level
Students Enrolling One Level Below Transfer
AB 705-Compliant Placement
High School GPA ≥ 2.6
80%
40%
Transfer-Level English Composition
No change in level of support required
High School GPA
59%
22%
Additional academic and co-requisite support should be considered to improve success rates
High School GPA < 1.9
43%
12%
Additional academic and co-requisite support should be provided to improve success rates

11. English
The data presented is based on an analysis of historical CCC student records.
Of all students that enrolled in freshmen composition as their first English course in college, 43% passed transfer level English in one year if their 11th grade GPA was < 1.9*
Of all students that enrolled in a one level below English course, 12% passed transfer level English in one year if their 11th grade GPA was < 1.9
The Chancellor’s Office has interpreted this data to indicate that ALL students with an 11th grade HS GPA should be placed directly into transfer level.
* Data from – students were placed in transfer-level through unknown placement processes, not necessarily HS GPA.

12. English
English Departments are generally further along than ESL and Math Departments.
Many corequisite models are already in place.
Some English writing courses include a reading component.

13. Math (and Quantitative Reasoning)
Math placement is being considered for two separate groups: Statistics and Liberal Arts Math (SLAM) and Business, Sciences, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (B-STEM).
Guidance for default placement has not been determined, but direct placement into transfer level is possible for SLAM students.

14. Math – Statistics High School Performance Average Success Rate
Average Success Rate
Students Enrolling Directly in Statistics
AB 705-Compliant Placement (Still Under Discussion)
 High School GPA ≥ 3.0 or ≥ 2.3 with a C or better in Pre Calculus
79.4 %
Direct placement into statistics
No change in level of support required
High School GPA 2.3 – 3.0
53.9 % 
Placement into statistics or statistics with concurrent support
High School GPA < 2.3
39.8 % 

15. Math – Statistics
The data presented is based on an analysis of historical CCC student records.
Students that enrolled in statistics as their first math course with an 11th grade HS GPA < 2.3, their success rate was 39.8%. Students that enrolled in a math course one level below (Intermediate Algebra) completed transfer level math in one year at a rate of 12%.*
Discussions are continuing, but it is likely that all students with an 11th grade HS GPA that wish to take statistics will be allowed to enroll as their first math class.
* Data from – students were placed in transfer-level through unknown placement processes, not necessarily HS GPA.

16. Noncredit
AB 705 is intended to apply to credit students seeking a degree, certificate, or transfer.
If credit students enroll in a noncredit course in mathematics or English that leads to a transfer level course, the clock for AB 705 starts.
Noncredit students taking classes in adult basic skills are not subject to the two semester clock of AB 705.
Noncredit students that decide to enter the credit program would have the clock start just like any other student entering the credit program for the first time.

17. ESL
Colleges are required to maximize the likelihood that credit ESL students complete transfer level coursework in English (could be an ESL course equivalent to freshmen composition) in three years.
AB 705 is not intended to apply to noncredit ESL students.
Placement models based on high school performance data have had mixed results.
A workgroup is meeting to develop tools for placement into credit ESL courses and develop strategies colleges could explore to decrease the time it takes for students to complete ESL sequences.
Full implementation for ESL is likely to be required by Fall 2020.

18. What now?
Chancellor’s Office is providing initial guidance; Board of Governors will determine Regulations
AB 705 affects all disciplines and student support services
Faculty must work together and with other constituency groups
Data should be collected and analyzed annually in order to make adjustments to advising, placement, and curricular pathways as needed
Agree on common goals:
Student Equity
Closing Achievement Gaps
High Quality Education to empower students for success as they move beyond our institutions

19. Questions and Comments

20. References
AB 705 (Irwin, 2017) AB705
Chancellor’s Office AB 705 Website